Our undergraduate programmes

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"The tutors have always been approachable – whether I've knocked on doors with tangible questions or just to chew the fat."

"I initially applied to Goldsmiths on account of the university’s reputation in arts circles; I was applying to study English, and hoped that the freedom often affiliated with the creative arts would apply here to the humanities. My expectations were exceeded. The American side of the course has been brilliant – establishing a little community that seems driven by a mutual respect between staff and students – arguably echoing the atmosphere in the College at large – a kind of learning environment that feels ingratiating rather than exclusive. The department of English and Comparative Literature has been welcoming throughout the degree, and the tutors have always been approachable – whether I’ve knocked on doors with tangible questions or just to chew the fat, teachers have always been encouraging.

The course itself has been comprehensive, running from the Renaissance to the post-modern moment, and has proved to strengthen not only a knowledge but also, I would argue, a love of literature: the enthusiasm of the lecturers precipitating a mutual sense of excitement. The degree has, as hoped, been an opportunity to consolidate this love. Given the current cultural and political climate, it feels of unique significance to be affiliated with an institution that champions the humanities, and that exercises this championship without any sense of elitism. Currently in the final year of my undergraduate programme, I hope to continue studying at Goldsmiths, and undertake a Masters with the Department."

Degree listing

Our English degree gives you the opportunity to develop the critical and verbal skills needed for a confident, effective reading of literary and non-literary texts. It develops your core skills in analytical and imaginative reading and writing.

Examine the formation of the American literary aesthetic, and the critical concepts and ideologies that shape the American nation, through the study of a varied range of literary and critical works from both sides of the Atlantic.

This degree offers you the opportunity to explore the disciplines of history and English literature. You'll be introduced to the skills of the historian, and will analyse societies and their structures in a way that will inform and complement your literary studies.

This degree combines the study of literature with the study of language from a linguistic perspective. You'll engage with theory and practice in literature and linguistics, and benefit from mutually illuminating critical debates in both disciplines.

This degree promotes your intellectual curiosity and creativity by combining the study of English literature with the practice of creative writing. It will develop your analytical and critical abilities as well as your imaginative skills.